Riverside Heights Civic Association & Crime Watch

Have you looked on the corner of N. Blvd. and Peninsular ????? A used car lot has just materialized with a very large sign that says ''Used Cars for Sale '' above 3 piece of sh*t cars. Instead of complaining to our so-called ''code enforcement representative,'' I think we should ask for his resignation at our next. He meeting does nothing! And he didn't even bother to show up at our last meeting! We need someone who has enough gumption to address these issues instead of side stepping them!

Lack of Zoning & Code Enforcemt

Dear Desiree,

Code enforcement and zoning issues along North Boulevard have been ignored too long by our neighborhood association and by the city.

Individuals in the neighborhood have been complaining for more than a decade about the blight stretching from the corner of Columbus and Boulevard, north to MLK. Nothing is being done by the city and our association to correct the problem.

Code enforcement under the direction of Curtis Lane is a joke, and we as an association need to insist that the Mayor Iorio replace him immediately with someone who will do the job.

One of the excuses that code enforcement loves to use is that the code laws in Tampa have no teeth. Well then we need to approach City Council and get the laws changed, something that Curtis Lane should have done years ago.

The subject of code enforcement and zoning needs to be placed on the next meeting agenda with the following demands by the association, placed in letter form and sent to Mayor Iorio and city officials.

1. Demand change of ineffective code enforcement and zoning ordinances with effective ones.

2. Demand the Mayor Iorio and City Council replace Curtis Lane as head of code enforcement.

3. Demand the removal of Rick Barcena from The Code Enforcement Board.

4. Demand the city remove the flea market style clothing sales and illegal bill board located on the corner of Columbus and Blvd. (701 W. Columbus)

5. Demand removal of storage containers, debris, structures, and the illegal used car lot at Peninsular and N. Blvd. (701&703 Peninsular)

6. Demand removal of the Mark?’s Mobile Auto Repair truck parked on 3707 N. Blvd.

7. Demand removal of boats and construction equipment from 3602 N. Blvd. (Ohio& N. Blvd)

8. Demand the condemnation, demolition, and clean up of the Hutto?’s Corner property on MLK and N. Blvd.

9. Demand removal of jet ski stowed at 901 W. Peninsular.

If we as an association really want to see improvement in the neighborhood these demands need to be made, and seen through. This would not be an issue in South Tampa or the Mayor's beloved Beach Park Neighborhood, so why does it have to be an issue in Riverside Heights! Why do we have to tolerate this blight for years with out city officials doing a thing to correct it?

We have had to put up with this blight for to many years and it is time that something is done about it! As an association we need to quit addressing items such as what to rename Plymouth Park and start addressing the real problem.

I hope to see this matter on the agenda and addressed at the next meeting.

Sincerely,

John Weinsheimer

W. Plymouth St.